Water
The Importance of Water
Water makes up approximately 78% of a newborn’s body but declines to as little as 50% of an elder’s body. The human brain is approximately 85% water!
Thirst sensitivity declines with age, making it important to be conscientious about drinking water even when we are not thirsty. Often people do not recognize that they are thirsty, and will reach for food instead -- resulting in overeating.
Body functions depending on water include:
Inadequate water consumption may contribute to:
How much water should you drink each day? Divide your body weight in pounds by two. Consider drinking at least this many ounces of water per day. For instance, if you weigh 150 pounds, drink at least 75 ounces of water each day. For every 20 minutes of exercise, drink 8 extra ounces of water. For every eight ounces of caffeinated beverage you drink, drink 8 - 16 extra ounces of water. For optimal hydration, it is better to drink water only, not juice, soda, or other flavored beverages, which usually have some form of sweetener added. You can add slices of orange, lemon, lime, cucumber or ginger, or add whole sprigs of mint to water for a flavored treat.
Ideally water should be drunk ½ hour before or one to two hours after eating. Drinking water while you eat dilutes the digestive enzymes and hydrochloride acid in our stomach, which is needed to break down our food.
So what should you drink, given all of the contaminants in our city water? Purified water of course, whether it is reverse-osmosis, or alkaline water. The concerns about drinking from, and storing water in plastic are real. The chemicals in the plastic have been shown to leach into the water. I personally prefer carrying my water in a glass or stainless steel water bottle.
For more information read:
Water by William D. Holloway, Jr. and Herb Joiner-Bey, ND
Your Body’s Many Cries for Water by Dr. Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, MD
Water makes up approximately 78% of a newborn’s body but declines to as little as 50% of an elder’s body. The human brain is approximately 85% water!
Thirst sensitivity declines with age, making it important to be conscientious about drinking water even when we are not thirsty. Often people do not recognize that they are thirsty, and will reach for food instead -- resulting in overeating.
Body functions depending on water include:
- filtering of metabolic waste by the kidneys
- digestion and metabolism
- nutrient and oxygen transport to all cells of the body
- regulation of body temperature
- lubrication of joints (arthritis sufferers take note!)
- moistening lungs for gas exchange
- supporting the molecular structure of proteins and possibly other macromolecules such as DNA and RNA
Inadequate water consumption may contribute to:
- excess body fat
- poor muscle tone
- digestive problems including constipation
- joint pain
- poor organ function (brain, muscles, kidneys, liver)
- headaches
- fatigue
- dizziness
How much water should you drink each day? Divide your body weight in pounds by two. Consider drinking at least this many ounces of water per day. For instance, if you weigh 150 pounds, drink at least 75 ounces of water each day. For every 20 minutes of exercise, drink 8 extra ounces of water. For every eight ounces of caffeinated beverage you drink, drink 8 - 16 extra ounces of water. For optimal hydration, it is better to drink water only, not juice, soda, or other flavored beverages, which usually have some form of sweetener added. You can add slices of orange, lemon, lime, cucumber or ginger, or add whole sprigs of mint to water for a flavored treat.
Ideally water should be drunk ½ hour before or one to two hours after eating. Drinking water while you eat dilutes the digestive enzymes and hydrochloride acid in our stomach, which is needed to break down our food.
So what should you drink, given all of the contaminants in our city water? Purified water of course, whether it is reverse-osmosis, or alkaline water. The concerns about drinking from, and storing water in plastic are real. The chemicals in the plastic have been shown to leach into the water. I personally prefer carrying my water in a glass or stainless steel water bottle.
For more information read:
Water by William D. Holloway, Jr. and Herb Joiner-Bey, ND
Your Body’s Many Cries for Water by Dr. Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, MD